Access Statement

This access statement does not contain personal opinions as to our suitability for those with access needs, but aims to accurately describe the facilities and services that we offer all our guests/visitors.

Introduction

Yorebridge House, located in the North Yorkshire Dales is a luxury boutique hotel and restaurant situated by the river on the edge of the unspoilt village of Bainbridge, Wensleydale, surrounded by countryside.

With the stunning backdrop of rolling hills and rivers, the Victorian grade II listed former Headmasters House and School sits proud and welcoming, promising luxury, relaxation and beautiful interiors as well as superb 3 AA Rosette menu, a bespoke wine and bar list and a personal and professional service from the moment you arrive.

The Hotel sits in its own five acres of land, flanked by two rivers The Ure and The Bain, and is only a 5 minute walk to the local villages of Bainbridge and 20 minutes to Askrigg.

We aim to meet the needs of all our guests and ensure you have an enjoyable stay.

Our menu and this Access Statement are available in larger print on request.

Pre-Arrival

For full details and maps of how to reach us please see the directions section of our website. Alternatively, you can plan your journey by car or public transport using http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp; simply enter your postcode and ours, which is DL8 3EE to get directions.

The nearest railway station is Garsdale, which is 14 miles away. Access to the platforms is via the road and a ramp to both platforms. Step free access from car park to station entrance (Car Park is gravelled and uneven).

The nearest Airports are Durham Tees Valley, 42 miles away, Manchester, 106 miles away and Newcastle, 77 miles away.

Taxis are available by advance booking through Peacocks Private Hire, 01969 650212 or Country Private Hire, 01969 667096

There is free parking on site for customers only. The car park is situated at the side and rear of the premises.

There are 25 parking spaces. The car park surface is small pebbles with no tarmac paths. We will be pleased to guide you to our dedicated extra-wide parking, where required, for parent & child / wheelchair users etc. Please contact us prior to arrival and again upon arrival, if you require direct assistance in this regard.

The car park is well lit at night. Please feel free to contact us in advance and upon arrival, if you would like any assistance between the car park and the building. The shortest distance between the nearest car parking space and the building is 20 metres across a gravel surface (though this is not via the main reception entrance).

The main entrance is approached by crossing a gravel carpark, with an undulating surface leading to 3 stone steps down (approx. 210mm high each) and then via a 16 metre flagstone and gravel path leading to three steps up (one at 80mm, another at 160mm and a third at 200mm high per step). The front entrance door is manual, it is a heavy door 930mm wide with a circular handle and opens inwards into a small entry porch where another door accesses the main reception and welcoming area. There is a Portable Hearing Induction loop available, to ensure support to those with hearing impairment.

There is a drop off point at the side door, adjacent the restaurant, with sloping access from the main car park.

We are able to provide assistance, should you need any help to enter the building, restaurant or bar and with transferring your luggage, should you require. Please request this in advance where possible and upon arrival.

Restaurant, Bar & Bar Areas

The restaurant, bar and lounge areas are located within the main building on the ground floor. There are slight 10 – 30mm) differences in level at thresholds between the areas.

Our restaurant has moveable tables and a variety of chairs with and without arms to accommodate any spatial requests, there is plenty of circulation space available throughout to move between each ground floor area

The restaurant has large windows providing natural daylight. Overhead and wall lighting as well as candles are used in both areas. Night time light levels are dimmed slightly, controlled by dimmer switches which can be altered if requested. Candles are lit on tables in the restaurant. The flooring is wood in the bar area and restaurant, the lounges are carpeted. Restaurant and bar service is table service on an evening and during the day where requested.

We endeavour to cater for any dietary requirements; please contact us in advance with any specific requests. Where possible all our food produce is locally sourced, and prepared by our award winning chef.

Large print and braille menus are available. All staff can assist by running through menus with you.

We have lounge rooms where music is not played to allow guests the option of sitting in a quieter area.

The bar area has a range of sofas and soft chairs, upright chairs, with and without arms and high and low tables which can be moved to accommodate any spatial requests.

There is background music in the restaurant and the bar area.

Customer Toilets

Customer toilets, including a unisex accessible toilet, can be found at the main reception area of the hotel. There is level access to all of these. In the accessible toilet there is an emergency alarm pull cord, it is also well lit with fluorescent overhead lighting and grab rails to the sides with lever taps on the sink.

The other customer WCs have the same lighting, flooring, lever taps as above.

Accommodation – Bedrooms

All our rooms have: Sky with the option to have subtitles.

Dimmable overhead lighting and supplementary bedside lights.

Lever type taps on wash hand basins.

Camp beds can be requested in some rooms for an assistant, friend or family member

We have seven bedrooms in the main building of the hotel, three of which are located on the ground floor

The ground floor bedrooms are accessible via 2 steps (180mm high) with the following facilities ;-

Nishiki
– large shower (broad opening with fixed shower head and control at 1000mm and separate bath (620mm high sides)
– double bed (720mm high)
– external hot tub (access is via 2 x 100mm stone steps down and 2 x 180mm high steps up to tub with additional 500mm up and over into tub / door width to outside 760mm)

Greenwich
– accessed by a further private staircase (16 steps @ 180mm high from first floor landing) with variable and limited headroom and quarter turn landing.
– sloping ceilings and various low-level roof beams
– twin , side by side baths 620mm high with no separate shower.
– bed (750mm high)

We have a further 4 bedrooms located in the Old School House building situated adjacent the main house, there is a 50mm step up into the main room doors. There is a 35metre distance to travel between the main building and the School House across a mix of flagged and undulating gravel surfaces.

There is a small lawned garden and gravel terrace area which is available for use all year round. Garden furniture is an ensemble of wicker bucket seats and patio tables.

There is level access to the terrace area and garden from the car park, via a pebbled path and the restaurant, through double glass doors over a threshold bar onto five steps ( 210mm high each) access is also available through the main reception doors and three steps (1@80mm, 1 @ 160mm and 1@ 200mm) to the outside along a traditional flagged and small-pebbled path in-keeping with the building, but which by its character, may cause some guests to seek our further assistance, due to the uneven surface.

The terrace area is flat and evenly covered with pebbles. The garden is also a flat area.

There is full table service in this area, where staff are on hand to assist.

Additional Information

We have evacuation procedures; action plans are located in the visitors’ information and the rear of bedroom doors, guest access and egress is a vital part of our evacuation procedures. Should you require assistance, a designated member of staff will come to your table/room and help you with evacuating the property.

Please let us know if you have any specific requirements not outlined in our access statement and we will endeavour to sensitively accommodate any individual needs. Similarly, please alert us to any additional considerations you feel we should take on board to ensure that your full needs and concerns are taken into account during your visit, your stay or your safe evacuation from the premises, if required. We will assure absolute discretion and sensitivity in helping you enjoy your visit and/or stay with us.

Yorebridge House, due to its listed status, has retained certain period features, which may make access difficult to certain areas of the grounds and buildings. Please also bear in mind that the School House is a separate building from the main Hotel and Restaurant and it will involve going outside to travel between the two buildings. (approx. 35 metres across a mix of flagstone paving and undulating close-packed gravel surface).

We only welcome trained assistance dogs within the main hotel. Water bowls for assistance dogs can be supplied on request and one can be supplied for bedrooms where necessary. We have two rooms that are dog friendly, (Kariega & Rangali) for general enquiries, however consideration will be taken into place where the dog is an assistance dog and required by the owner at all times.

Free Wi-Fi Internet access is available in the bedrooms and throughout the restaurant.

The nearest General Hospital with an A&E unit is in Northallerton, 32 miles away and a walk in NHS/Emergency out of hour’s facility is 21 miles away in Catterick Garrison. The nearest doctor’s surgery is 4 miles away in Hawes or Aysgarth. Please contact reception for further information and for details of Duty Pharmacies.